RYTECH hires COO, promotes VP

ATLANTA — RYTECH, provider of water damage mitigation services to property insurers, recently named Jay Staughan to the newly created position of Chief Operating Officer, according to a press release.

At the same time, RYTECH promoted Randy Kerlin, the former VP of Business Development, to the position of executive Vice President of Operations.

Kerlin will manage business operations and manage key accounts, while Straughan will lead the sales, marketing, human resources and finance teams.

Staughan joins RYTECH with 24 years of claims leadership, serving previously as Liberty Mutual's field and home office claims organizations' adjuster, technical claim specialist, regional property manager and property claim director. He holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Samford University and an M.S. in Construction Management from Florida International University.

Kerlin joined the company in 2013 after working for 13 years in the claims field. He previously held positions with Tower Hill Insurance Group, State Farm and Farmers/Foremost, where he was a senior field claim representative.

The company says of these executive staff changes, "Both individuals are leaders in the industry and will certainly add to Rytech's leadership position with current insurance carrier partners and those that are considering a stronger relationship with Rytech Inc."